


still here

by wearing_tearing



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Established Relationship, Fix-It, M/M, Oil, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings, Wakanda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-29 15:31:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14475702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wearing_tearing/pseuds/wearing_tearing
Summary: Steve wipes the dust off his face.





	still here

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [這裡](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14503752) by [abbabccd05](https://archiveofourown.org/users/abbabccd05/pseuds/abbabccd05)



> sometimes u just gotta write the soothing fic u need

Steve wipes the dust off his face.

His muscles ache from the fight, sprawled on the ground in a heap when his body decided it didn’t want to hold him up anymore. He has a cut on his cheek and empty hands, and all Steve wants to do is lie back on the ground and go to sleep. Possibly forever.

“That’s what you get from trying to stop the giant ugly eggplant with your own bare hands, you fuckin’ idiot.”

Steve looks up, heart clenching painfully in his chest. “Bucky,” he whispers, torn between laughing and bursting into tears.

But now is not the time for crying. They still have to fix this, still have work to do.

Bucky rolls his eyes at him and extends a hand, the metal one, with its black vibranium color and golden accents. “C’mere.”

Steve grabs Bucky’s hand and lets himself be pulled up. He stumbles a little, but Bucky is quick to wrap an arm around his waist and keep him up.

“Hi,” Steve says like the absolute idiot that he is, fighting to stay on task and not give in to the urge to press Bucky against a tree and kiss him. Possibly forever.

“Hi.” Bucky smiles at him, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Did you know I met a talking raccoon today?”

“Thor’s new friend is a tree,” Steve replies, wondering when his life turned out like this. Probably around 1940-something when he decided that lying on his enlistment forms and trusting a German doctor with a drinking problem was a good idea.

“At least we’re still here, right?” Bucky muses as he presses his forehead against Steve’s for a second.

Steve breathes him in, the scent of dirt and sweat and _Bucky_ as familiar to him as the beat of his own heart. “Yes, we are.”

“Let’s go, then. The others need our help.”

Steve doesn’t want to help. Steve’s helped enough in his life _and_ in his death, and now he just wants to stay right here, in Bucky’s arms, and never fight again.

“Okay,” is what he says instead, because he knows there’s no point in arguing.

They walk through the trees until they break into the big field where the final battle was fought, now littered with bodies of both friend and foe. Steve’s heart hurts for T’Challa’s people, who fought as bravely as their king.

“Barnes,” T’Challa nods when they approach, a pained smile on his face, “I see you’ve found your Captain.”

“He was taking a nap in one of the bushes,” Bucky jokes, although his eyes are as sad as T’Challa’s.

It makes sense, Steve thinks. Bucky has made a home for himself here, and it must hurt to have that home destroyed.

“Are you done being dramatic now?” Sam asks as he comes up to them, bumping his shoulder against Steve’s, relief clear on his face. “Because we got work to do.”

Steve takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Tell me.”

Steve isn’t expecting Sam to grin, wide and happy.

“I’ll do you one better,” Sam says. “I’ll show you.”

 

**

 

Steve almost gags at the smell of singed flesh, especially when it’s accompanied by little bits of alien meat thrown around on the ground.

“Hello, friends!” Thor greets them with a beaming smile, a twirl of his new axe, and lightning sparkling behind his eyes.

“Hey, Thor.” Steve goes up to hug him, indescribably grateful at having him here.

Thor laughs and squeezes him until Steve’s bones crack. “It is good to see you, Steve. We’ve fought well today.”

“I’d say,” comes a smooth voice from their right.

Steve doesn’t know her, with her blue and green skin and black eyes, but he knows he owes her his life. Everyone’s lives.

“I’m Nebula,” she introduces herself and then points at the green woman with red hair standing just beside her. “And this is Gamora. You’re welcome.”

They’re both standing on top of what used to be Thanos. Or at least what remains of him after Thor fried him with the power of the God of Thunder and Nebula and Gamora finished him off with sharp knives and rage in their hearts.

“Now wait a minute,” Tony interrupts, pointing a finger at her. “You didn’t do this alone. We helped.”

“I don’t know, Mr. Stark,” Peter pipes up. “We kind of just drove them here.”

Steve heats a chuckle from his side, and turns to see Nat standing beside him.

“How long do you think it’ll take the kid to drive Tony bananas?” Natasha asks in a low voice.

“I can’t believe you said ‘bananas’,” Clint days from behind her, and then produces a twenty dollar bill from one of his boots. “And I give another month. He might’ve been fine before, but now he took the kid to space, so.”

“I wanted to go to space,” Bucky mumbles, so low that only Steve hears.

And apparently Bucky’s new raccoon friend, too.

“I’ll take you, Arm Man,” the raccoon says. “You’re a good shot, we could use you.”

“I am Groot,” Thor’s tree friend says, nodding along.

“We should get to work,” Vision interrupts, skin flushed under the hot sun. The mind stone is now gone, destroyed by Wanda, and all that’s left of him is… human.

“What do you need us to do?” Wanda asks, stepping up to Nebula and Gamora.

The women exchange a glance, and then Gamora says, “Can you turn him to dust?”

Wanda smiles with a glint in her eyes. “I can make it so he never existed.”

“I like that.” Nebula grins, sharp and metallic. “That’s a good idea.”

Steve watches as Wanda works her magic, red tendrils wrapping themselves around the shell of Thanos’ body until he’s surrounded by it. And then, with just a flick of Wanda’s fingers, he’s gone.

Turned to dust.

The ending he deserves.

 

**

 

“Ah, home sweet home,” Bucky sighs when they enter the small hut he’s been given to live in during his stay in Wakanda.

Steve smiles at Bucky’s relaxed pose now that he’s in his own space. Wakanda has done him good, more than either of them expected. Steve doesn’t know how he could ever repay Shuri and T’Challa.

“Buck,” Steve calls out, giving in to the need he’s been fighting since standing in that field, ready to lay out his life for humanity yet again.

Bucky glances at him over his shoulder, lips curling up when he recognizes the look in Steve’s eyes. He turns just as Steve wraps his arms around his waist, mouth coming down against Bucky’s and catching him in a deep and sweet kiss.

“We’re okay,” Bucky says against Steve’s lips, and Steve can’t stop himself from kissing him again: his mouth, his cheeks, the dimple on his chin. “We’re still here, Steve. We survived and we’re okay,” Bucky murmurs, small words of reassurance that settle deep inside of Steve’s heart.

“I love you,” Steve says, the words coming to him as easy as breathing.

Bucky grins, wide and bright and just as happy. “I love you too. Even if you stink.”

Steve snorts and then proceeds to rub his bearded cheek against Bucky’s stubbled one, spreading as much dust as he can. Bucky laughs, but holds him closer instead of pushing him away.

“Shower, then,” Steve says, heart so full it almost makes him forget how exhausted he is.

“Yes,” Bucky practically groans, grabbing Steve’s hands and taking him to the bathroom. “I need you to help me with conditioning. My hair’s gonna suffer with all this dust.”

“I’ll slather you with as much coconut oil as you want,” Steve promises, unbuckling his suit while Bucky turns on the shower.

Bucky clutches at his chest and bats his lashes at Steve. “A man after my own heart.”

They rinse off under the hot spray of the shower, trying to get all the dust and blood and bits of alien flesh off their skin before they move on to a bath. Bucky lets out a dreamy sigh as he submerges half his body in steamy hot water, his back to Steve’s chest.

“We should do this after every fight,” Bucky comments, hands resting on top of Steve’s knees.

Steve gulps, arms going around Bucky’s waist and holding him close. “I don’t want to fight anymore,” he admits with a whisper.

Bucky is silent for approximately one second before he squeezes Steve’s knees and says, “Okay.”

Steve lets out a relieved breath he didn’t know he was holding, and presses a soft kiss to Bucky’s metal shoulder. “Thank you,” he says, words feeling inadequate in his mouth.

“You don’t need to thank me for that,” Bucky says softly, turning his face so he can brush a kiss to Steve’s lips. “You have to condition my hair, though.”

Steve laughs, kissing Bucky again, feeling light and free in a way he never has before. “Give me the stuff,” Steve says, opening a hand in front of Bucky, palm up.

“You know,” Bucky says as he shuffles forward to grab the small jar with coconut oil, “I’m tempted to put my dick in your hand and tell you ‘here’s your stuff’.”

Steve laughs, grabbing the open jar and spreading some oil on his hands. “We can do that after this is done. Wouldn’t want your hair to suffer.”

“You take such good care of me,” Bucky gasps when Steve starts working on his hair, going boneless and leaning heavily against Steve’s body. “We should get married.”

Steve grins and massages Bucky’s scalp, making sure to press in just how he likes. “We’re already married. Small ceremony right in front of this house? Shuri’s indestructible rings? Sam crying into his drink? Ring any bells?”

“I’ll ring your bell,” Bucky sniffs, but Steve can see that he’s smiling. “It took us long enough, huh?”

“Just a little,” Steve answers, dropping a kiss to the edge of Bucky’s jaw. “What matters is that we’re here now.”

That is what Steve tries to hold on to: that they’re still here, that they’ve survived. Wars, Hydra, a galactic pruned grape with homicidal issues, and Steve and Bucky are here; happy, alive, and in love.

“Yes, we are,” Bucky breathes out, and then slaps Steve’s knee. “Now I remember someone saying they’d slather me in oil. You better get to it, doll.”

Steve laughs, tugging playfully at the ends of Bucky’s hair, and gets to work. An oiled covered Bucky is always fun, especially when Steve gets to rub up against him later.

And after, when they’re both spent and wrapped up around each other, Steve finally gives in to one of his other urges: with Bucky in his arms, under the roof of their home, Steve sleeps, knowing they’ll get to spend the rest of their lives just like this—together and in love.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm on [tumblr](http://hawkguyz.tumblr.com/), pretending everything is f i n e


End file.
